Inquiry reveals prisoner escape record (From This Is Cheshire)

Inquiry reveals prisoner escape record

1:30pm Saturday 4th February 2012 in News By Hannah Bargery

BURGLARS and robbers along with criminals who caused death by dangerous driving are among the offenders who have escaped from prison in the past three years.

More than 80 prisoners have spent more than 1,500 days at large after absconding from Thorn Cross Young Offenders Institute, Appleton Thorn.

A Warrington Guardian Freedom of Information request found a criminal who had breached a suspended sentence spent the longest time at large with a total of 219 days followed by a prisoner charged with wouding with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm who was on the run for 166 days.

Robbers and defendants charged with attempted robberies were the most prolific absconders with 25 on the run for a total of 288 days.

In total 85 prisoners have spent 1,516 days at large while Risley Prison had one escape from a prison escort in 2008/09.

The Ministry of Justice said the term absconding mainly relates to open prisons like Thorn Cross as it is ‘an escape that does not involve overcoming a physical security restraint’.

Eight prisoners, including five burglars, did not escape the law for long however as they were back in prison the same day.

Figures found the number of escapes had halved in 2008/09 to 24 before rising to 34 in 2009/10 and dropping to 27 in 2010/11.

The absconders represent around 10 per cent of the total number of prisoners at Thorn Cross each year as the population fluctuated between 245 and 285 prisoners.

Possession of a firearm, drugs with intent to supply and aggravated vehicle taking were also among the list of offenders who absconded between April 1, 2008 and March 31, 2011.

None of the absconders from this period are still at large but figures for the end of the year are not yet available.

A prison service spokesman said: “More than 96 per cent of prisoners who abscond are re-captured when they are returned to a closed prison and referred to the police, where they could face further prosecution.

“Prisoners released on temporary licence and those held in open conditions have been rigorously risk assessed and categorised as being of low risk to the public.”